The next Dark Lord, Ronald Weasley
by Thunderman88
Summary: One day, a certain eternal sidekick named Ronald Weasley receives a strange gift. It's just the first step that will bring him to become the next Dark Lord after Voldemort. But someone thinks he's not beyond redemption... Please review
1. Chapter 1

Ok, so that' another one of my stupid ideas : Ron Weasley has always been the sidekick, so I decided to play on this and imagine what would happen if he'd turned bad. Also, I'm a huge fan of Star Wars. So, I decided to make a crossover. Please excuse me for my bad english.

I don't own the Harry Potter's characters.

Chapter 1 : Gifts

The Great Hall was noisy as usual that day. At the Gryffindor table, everyone was absorbed in their usual behaviour, which meant that Harry Potter, the famed Boy-Who-Lived, was very busy with his new girlfriend, Ginny Weasley, and Hermione Granger was very busy reading a huge book. But, even if no one was noticing it, Ronald Weasley was acting odd : he was so thoughtful that he forgot to make a disgusted look seeing his best friend with his little sister, and he forgot also to devour his breakfast as usual. He'd had a lot of strange feelings and even bad dreams from some time on. But he couldn't put the finger on what was experiencing.

A solitary owl flew from a window and aimed directly at him. With grace, he dropped a little package before his plate and went away. Ron was puzzled : he didn't expect any packages, and if it had been from his family, it would have been carried by Errol. Even his friends were curious. "What did you receive?" asked Hermione, frowning. Ron mumbled : "I dunno. Let's see!" And started to unwrap the package.

A metallic cylinder rolled from it on the table. Ron collected it and frowned. It was something he'd never seen, yet it seemed to him... kind of familiar. He studied it carefully : it seemed to fit perfectly into his hand, but there were no signs of its purpose. "What is that?" Ginny asked, confused. "I... I don't know. I don't understand! Why should someone send me a thing like this... a thing I don't even know what is... or how to use?" Harry inspected the paper. "There's no adress or other sign of whoever sent this!" he declared.

The strange object collected the attention of everyone at Gryffindor's table, and even of someone at the teacher's table. Professor McGonagall stood up and walked to Ron. "What is it, Weasley?" she asked sternly. Ron shrugged, frustrated. "I don't know, Professor. I just... received it. I don't know what it does, what..." With that, he absentmindedly pressed the button on the grip-

With a hiss, the upper part of the thing disappeared in a bolt of red light, which seemed to surge from the very thing, to extend to the sky and then stop when it reached about 20 inches. Everyone jumped back, stunned, and Ron dropped it. The red beam disappeared as the cylinder fell to the ground. For a second, there was silence. Then Ron leaned down and grabbed it again, with some hesitation. With some more hesitation, he tried again, and again the red beam appeared.

"What... the... bloody... HELL?!" Harry stammered. McGonagall was speechless, and so was Dumbledore himself, while he joined her near Ron. Ron mumbled : "Maybe... maybe... it's some sort of sword made of light...?" Dumbledore bit his lower lip, then he said : "Then, verify it, Mr. Weasley!" He conjured with a flick of his wand a small iron bar. Ron stood there, doubtful, then he raised the sword and hit the bar with it. With a melting sound, the bar was split into two white-hot pieces. Everyone gasped.

Ron looked at his weapon with interest. "Guess I was right. But why send something like this to me?" "We'll have to find out that. But I think it's better if you give it to us, for examination, Mr. Weasley. If we find nothing too dangerous, we'll give it back to you." said Dumbledore, raising his left hand. Ron hesitated, suddenly unwilling to give away such an interesting thing, but then he gave it to Dumbledore. The Headmaster then returned back to the teacher's desk, followed by McGonagall, and everything seemingly came back to normal. But everyone started to talk about this sword, and about Ron. He, too confused to realize his unexpected newfound celebrity, went silent. His friends looked at him with worry. "Hey, are you okay, mate?" inquired Harry. Ron shrugged and answered, slowly : "No. Maybe it's a stupid thing, but I've this felling that this thing is only the beginning of something... and I'd bet my broom with an holed Galleon that's not something good!" Hermione, having just recovered from the fear of him having been poisoned, looked at him with trembling lips.

The next weeks were the most entertaining weeks a student at Hogwarts had ever experienced. Having been unable to understand how the sword worked, the staff gave it back to Ron. He kept it in his trunk, but sometimes he would just sit on his bed with the sword in the hand and contemplate it. This caused another unexpected discovery.

He was in his dorm, with the sword in his hand, when he felt something inside him. A strange feeling he'd never felt, which didn't seem bad, though. In fact, it felt quite right. Like an energy dormant for a very long time that craved to be reawakened and surfacing for the first time. He closed his eyes, immersing in this wonderful sensation. He lifted his hand and closed it, breathing deeply, amazed by this thing. Suddenly, he noticed that a book on the nightstand besides Neville's bed was trembling. Puzzled, he looked intently at it. It trembled more. Ron wondered if his "sensation" was causing that; curious, he decided to give it a try. He lifted his hand again and pointed its palm on the book, focusing completely on it. It trembled again, then, answering to the first thought that occurred him, it flew through the room right into his hand.

Very surprised, he looked at it, then he broke into a huge grin. "Well, maybe it's something I don't understand, but I'm starting to enjoy it!!"

His friends and the staff were not so much pleased when he told them what had happened. At first, they thought he'd merely used wandless magic, but he proved them he wasn't recurring to his magical powers to do that thing. They admitted he had some strange powers that the sword's arrival had awakened, but they were very wary of them. They advised him not to try to use them, but they had to change their minds.

Two days after these events, Ron was having dinner with the others, thinking about this newfound power, when Draco Malfoy came by. "Well, Weasel, I knew your family was not a respectable one from the beginning, but I've never imagined you would be also freaks!" Ron felt his cheeks burning; nevertheless, he tried to control his anger and simply mumbled : "Bugger off, Malfoy!" The blonde boy sneered. "Don't make me laugh, Weasel! You wouldn't be able to do something threatening to save your life. But I wonder... if you turned out to be a freak, what is your sister supposed to become? Potty would better find himself a more suitable girlfriend, for the sake of his descendants!" Harry jumped up, angry, but he was preceded by Ron. Malfoy went over the limit; now he felt just an immense anger and an immense hatred for that damned git. "I-TOLD-YOU-TO-BUGGER-OFF!!" He shaked his fist to mark his words, but this caused something unexpected : it was like someone has just hit Malfoy with an uppercut of tremendous might, as he was lifted into the air and landed hard on his back far from the place he stood before.

Another time, the Great Hall went silent. Malfoy got up and looked at Ron with a terrified expression; he was too angry, though, to fully understand what he'd done. McGonagall went there immediately. "Mr. Weasley... What in the world have you done?" Ron just looked up to her, took a deep breath to calm himself, then he replied : "Just giving Malfoy what he earned, Professor!"

This "incident" earned Ron detention for a week, but also earned him an absolute guarantee from any possible joke. And also caused the staff to reluctantly permit him to explore, with great care and never alone, the limits of his powers. Mr. And Mrs. Weasley, warned by owl by Dumbledore, were stunned by what Ron had experienced, but agreed (Mrs. Weasley after a long deed of persuasion) that Ron needed to get experience of his power, to control it. He was the first to say that : although Malfoy was so scared from his experience that he avoided Ron as much as possible, Ron himself was scared. If he'd pushed him with more force, he could have easily hurt him... or even kill him.

So, as the weeks went on, he kept on exploring his newfound possibilities. He soon learned to master telekinesis, being able not only to attract things, but also to repulse them, and to levitate them in the air. At first, he had trouble keeping a book airborne for more than some seconds, but at last, he gained himself an hypnotized audience when he lifted the four House hourglasses at the same time and kept them floating for five minutes, without moving an eyebrow. He also found that his abilities now included an increased capability of focusing, thing that helped him a lot with the lessons, with positive remarks by everyone.

He also trained in the use of the sword, using at this purpose the Room of Requirement. He just had to think 'I need a place to train with my sword', and the Room transformed into a fencing gym. Although at first he found it very difficult, he started to get the hang of that, showing an unexpected talent. He was not a very good swordsman yet, given that the particular balance of his sword had, but soon he was more than capable to hold his own.

Harry, Hermione and Ginny followed this activities with mixed emotions. They were glad Ron was having the popularity he craved for, but were deeply worried about his newfound abilities. In fact, no one, not even the Minister of Magic, was able to tell something about it. And Ron's proficience at learning how to control his power just compounded their worry.

One evening, Ron was sitting besides the fire in the Common Room, alongside with Harry, Hermione and Ginny. He had trained very hard that day, but he was satisfied. "Merlin's beard, I can really say I'm good at this! I become better every day!" he exclaimed. The others exchanged worried looks. Hermione started, uncertainly : "It's great, Ron. But as long as we don't know from where, and what is this power you have, you'd better be careful!" Ron scoffed, but he knew she was right. "You're right, of course. It's just... I feel very good. Better than I have always been. I'm feeling... complete!" Ginny grinned mischeviously : "Funny, I thought you'd feel complete only when you'd be togheter with..." "Oh, shut up! Of course I'll be at top when I and Hermione will become a couple, but nonetheless now I'm feeling..." He stopped, realizing what he'd said. He glanced at the others. Harry and Ginny were trying desperately not to laugh. Hermione was looking at him with big, big eyes. "What... did you just say?" Her voice was filled with hope mixed with fear. He gulped, realizing he'd been catched red-handed, but decided it was time to be a brave Gryffindor. "I said I'm going to be complete only when you and I will be togheter." She blushed, but then smiled. "Well, at last you found the courage to admit it!" He grinned back, suddenly feeling sweaty. She started to lean forward, while starting to close her eyes. With his heart thumping heavily, Ron leaned forward to meet her halfway. Their lips were only inches apart...

"ARGHH!"

Everyone jumped, when Ron screamed and fell back, panting, his eyes locked, his face a mask of horror. Hermione caught him by his shoulders. "Ron? Ron! Are you okay?" He shook his head, then he closed his eyes, trying to calm his thumping heart. When he reopened them, he saw Harry, Ginny and Hermione looking at him worriedly. "Don't worry, it passed. I think it was... some kind of a vision." "What vision?" asked Harry. Ron bit his lower lip, trying to remember the sudden vision that had occurred to him in his mind. He started to talk, slowly : "I don't remember well, but... it seems I were on the grounds. It was nighttime. There was a man standing before me. A man... with a black cloak that hid his face... and a sword like mine in his hand. He stood there for a moment, then he lifted his face up to meet my eyes. His face... was pale white... but his eyes were terrifying. They were yellow... like those of a wild cat. He sneered, made a gesture like as inviting me to come near him, and said something. It was like... 'You shall join me'..."

Ginny's lips trembled. "Maybe we should call Madame Pomfrey!" "Good idea. I'll warn Dumbledore. This thing is not a good sign!" approved Harry. Ron snickered weakly. "Yeah! Not only I have visions, but also I have them when I'm about to kiss a pretty girl. That's sure a very bad sign!" They laughed nervously, but Ron couldn't shake off his thought that his 'vision' was not just a sort of bad dream... but a premonition.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 : Choices

The next day, Ron was in a very bad mood. He'd have bet Madame Pomfrey, Dumbledore and the others wouldn't have found anything wrong in him, and he was right. But nevertheless they were worried sick about him, and were keeping him under strict control. He was given permission to go to breakfast, but Harry and the others were so insistent in questioning him if he was ok, that he at last snapped. "For Merlin's beard, guys! Stop asking me if I'm ok! I am, but I'm not going to be it anymore if you keep hassling me!!" "We're just worried, Ron!" said Hermione, who was the most worried, and was still depressed for her missed chance. Before her miserable appearance, Ron softened a little. "I know you are, but it's useless to worry so much. Everything is right!" Just in that moment, Mr. And Mrs. Weasley came into the Great Hall and rushed up to him. "Oh, Ronnie, are you allright? Dumbledore told us you..." "Please, Mom, you're strangling me! I'm fine, really!" Ron managed to exhale under her bone-crushing hug. She released him, but she was immediately relieved by her husband, who leaned back and gave his son a worried look. "Are you sure, Ron? Since what is happening to you it's something no one can explain..." Ron tried to be encouraging : "I realize, but you don't need to worry. I am f..."

He suddenly stopped talking, lifting his head. He had a strange expression on his face, "R-Ron... what's going on?" asked his sister, afraid. Ron slowly said in a weak voice : "I... I sense a presence. I can feel it... I can't explain it, but I feel it's near... and powerful. It's coming here!" Dumbledore, who had come to the table when the Weasleys came in, answered calmly : "That's impossible, Mr. Weasley. The gates cannot be passed very easily, and..." He stopped short when the ground shaked. "Wha' the hell?" asked Hagrid, dumbfounded. Professor Filtwick stood up, looking very alarmed. "Professor!!" he squeeked, fearfully. "The gates have been overridden! I sensed it! Whoever is coming, he's very powerful!"

"Indeed!" a strange voice said. Everyone was astounded to realize it was Ron. His expression was now calmer than ever; he slowly stood up. "And since our defenses weren't designed to keep away such foes, I have to stop him!" His voice sounded so sure, his decision seemed so strong, that no one, not even his parents, could do anything more than follow him, when he started to walk down the Hall, to exit the Castle. At his belt, his lethal sword that he had kept for all the day, thinking it would help him to calm himself, shined with deadly light.

Outside the main doors, Ron stopped. On the Grounds, under the black, clouded sky, at some distance from him, there was a tall man standing still. It was impossible to look at his face, for he wore a long black cloak with a hood that covered most of his face.

A cold and shrill voice came from the man, making everyone shudder. "I knew you would come. The time has come." Ron calmly asked : "Who are you?" The man lifted his gaze, and everyone but Ron took a step back when they saw the incredibly pale face, the large, sneering mouth and the two yellow eyes, burning like a fire. The voice was heard again : "I am... Darth Ferius!" Ron merely lifted an eyebrow. He struggled to keep the calm composure, while he was very scared by him, and yet somehow curious, because in him he sensed the same powers he had. "Why are you here?" Ferius sneered again : "I've come here for you!"

"We could say the same thing, mister!" a voice thundered, and suddenly everyone saw Lupin, Tonks, Moody, Kingsley and other Order members and Aurors appearing on the Grounds. They had been alerted by Dumbledore that something not good at all was happening. Many wands were ready : and a single yell, "STUPEFY!!", was roared, as the curses wrapped Ferius in a red cloak of energy.

He emerged unscathed, with everyone's astonishment. Ferius laughed : "Fools! Do you think you can defeat me?!" And he made a wide gesture with his hand; the wizards were thrown in the air like puppets. Tonks was one of the first to get up again, and fired another set of curses to the powerful foe. In vain, again. Ferius laughed more, and then he pointed his hand at the witch. She started to choke, like someone was holding her by the throat, and let her wand fall. She struggled, but it only worsened things; her face was turning blue.

"NO!!" yelled Ron, reacting after a moment of paralysis caused by horror and fear. Using his new abilities, he raised his hand in direction of the enemy; Ferius was pushed away for good. Rising again, he looked at Ron in amazement. "Fascinating. You received the lightsaber just weeks ago, but you can already do this with the Force. Your potential is greater than I thought!"

"The... Force?" said Ron, perplexed. Was that the name of the strange energy that enabled him to do everything he could? "Yes, the Force. The energy that pervades everything, every living being. But only someone, like us, can use it... _bend_ it to his will!" Ron was more curious than ever. "Why did you send me that... lightsaber?" Ferius sneered once more. "Well, I guessed I want to say if it would be able to awaken your abilities. Besides, it is yours rightfully, since it was your unce Bilius's!" Ron heard the loud gasp of his father. He could barely think clearly : how could his superstitious, strange uncle be linked to that cloaked guy? "What?!" "Oh, yes! Your uncle was not the foolish and odd person you believed. He was a Force sensitive... and was a great member of my Order. And he was not as kind as he was with you, at least with his many victims!" Ferius laughed evilly, and Ron felt his cheeks and ears turning red by anger. He couldn't hear anymore! He tried to push him with the Force again. But this time, the dark man was ready, and didn't flinch. "That's everything you've got?" Annoyed, Ron drew out his 'lightsaber' (as Ferius called it) and ignited it. "Don't worry, that was the appetizer; now comes the main course!!" And with a war cry, he threw himself to Darth Ferius, intending to reduce him to pieces.

Ferius reacted too quickly : he drew out another lightsaber and ignited it while swinging it, parrying Ron's blow with ease. "Oh, was this an attack?" Fully enraged by now, his opponent unleashed all his anger and hate in a furious flurry of attacks, using all the tricks he had learned practising with the saber. But Ferius kept blocking them with his own weapon.

Then, suddenly, Ron was pushed away by Ferius, who said : "You sure are skilled, but you still can't compete with me now. I could easily kill you. But I'm glad you showed me the true limits of your anger!" Ron stood up, still furious, but didn't attack : he was too conscious Ferius was right; he simply wasn't powerful as him. So, he decided to gain time. "What do you want from me?" he mumbled. Ferius seemed delighted. "Oh, _that_ was the question I was waiting for. I'm going to put it simple : I want you to join my Order, to become my apprentice, a Dark Lord of the Sith, to learn the secrets of the Dark Side of the Force." Silence. Everyone was stunned. Ron laughed briefly. "There is too much 'dark' stuff in there for me! And why do you think I could think about joining you?" Ferius seemed bored. "Well, as I said, it is simple. If you refuse... then I'll be forced to kill you friends and your family... and you know nothing would stop me!" With that, he showed his menace was not just a bluff : he raised a hand, and bolt of lightnings surged from it, nearly missing the teachers and the students massed near the doors. Everyone screamed in terror : Ron was aghast before such a power. "Besides, I know a part of you shouldn't be too much disgusted for it; you can become powerful, you can become the best of all. You shall not be second to anyone anymore!" Ferius added, seducingly.

"Don't do it, Ron! There are just void promises!" screamed Hermione, more scared and worried than ever. "Ron, please, don't listen to him. He will not keep his promise, he's too devious!" Harry warned him. "He's a liar, and you know it! There must be a way to defeat him!" pleaded Ginny. But further pleas were silenced by Ferius, who used the Force to silence them, then roared : "SILENCE!! It's his decision to make, not yours!"

All went silent, and everyone looked at Ron while he lowered his head, trying to think. He wanted to punish that bastard for threatening his family, everyone he cared for... but he recognize that if he tried, he would be dead in no time. And his loved ones would die anyway. Maybe... he could join him, learn his secrets, how to use the power... and then make him pay. He barely managed to control the chuckle that was about to come when he thought that. But... a darker, misrecognized part of his mind said he should join him for another reason : at Hogwarts, like a wizard, he would always be 'Harry Potter's best mate', a friend of the Boy-Who-Lived; he would always be the second one, always the sidekick. As a.. Sith, yes, that was the name Ferius used, he could become the greatest, the most powerful... he would be the best. He shook his head, trying to shake off his mind that power-thirsty thought, but he realized Ferius's words were tempting. And, that both his parts, the better one and the worse one, were agreeing on what to do.

Nevertheless, he hesitated. He inconsciously knew that when he would accept Ferius as a master, he would take a road with no coming back. He would choose a dark destiny, with no possible second thoughts. No, there should be another chance. It was always present a second chance.

Not this time.

Ron looked up to Ferius, who was waiting for him to answer. He deactivated his lightsaber, and slowly, kneeled before him, lowering his head. "I shall join you... Master!" he said, trying at the same time to hide and to put as much hate as he could in the phrase. His family, his friends, the staff and the students were too stunned by his unexpected answer to say something or to move. Ferius laughed maniacally, and the sound echoed everywhere, seemingly marking the fall of a wizard... and the rise of someone else. Then he raised his hands. "Excellent! Your hate is full, your anger is complete! You have fully embraced the Dark Side.... Darth Ruin, Dark Lord of the Sith!" With that, Ron felt like the Force was moving inside him, stirred by his negative feelings, more powerful than ever. All his grudges, all his pain, all his anger, everything that reminded him he was condemned to never become someone emerged to transform him... to corrupt him. And when he stood up again, everyone was speechless realizing his eyes, once blue, were now as yellow and as evil as those of Darth Ferius.

"Come, apprentice, let us go where your training shall began!" said Ferius, turning around and marching towards the gates. Ruin stood there for a moment; he gazed at the astounded crowd, and his eyes rested on the terrified face of the girl whose expression was hurting him the most; for a moment, something of the past blue surfaced between the yellow. Then, he turned around, and followed his master.

They both disappeared in the darkness. And the crowd remained there, too horrified to speak, too incredolous to acknowledge the truth. That a friend, a relative, a love interest... was gone. And something too dark and evil to imagine it was born.

Well, here we go. Ron has turned his back to his friends, to save them, but also because with them he would never become the first one. As a Sith... we'll see.

To Mrs.LukeSkywalker13 : thank you for your review, I hope you'll enjoy this new chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 : Explaining

No one had moved yet when suddenly some very odd-looking lights appeared in the sky, followed by a massive silhouette of some flying object. Everyone readied for the worst, because this could be nothing good, while some figures jumped down from the object and landed gracefully on their feet… after a good sixty-feet jump.

One of them, followed by the others, marched straight to the crowd. He was a man in his fifties, with grey stripes in his hair, with a very grave expression; he was clad in light brown clothes, with a large dark brown jacket; at his belt there was a lightsaber. He went for Dumbledore, as he knew exactly who the leader was, and when he was close he bowed slightly to him. Then, he started to speak with a corteous but urgent tone.

"Excuse us for this intrusion, but there is no time. We have to find someone called Ronald Weasley. Can you tell us where he is?" Everyone kept silent, as Dumbledore glared at the man. Then, the Headmaster spoke with a sad voice. "You are late; another man came by and blackmailed him into following him, a certain Darth Ferius, I think…" The man mantained his composure, but he lowered his head. "So it has happened; we failed, as I feared." "What happened? Who the hell are you?" shouted Arthur, incapable of controlling himself. He had heard more incredible things in the last half hour than in his entire life, and now he wanted some clear answers. The man merely looked at him, and declared : "Are you the brother of the late Bilius Weasley?" "Yes, I am, and I am Ron's father. Now I want you to explain what the hell is going out here!" Arthur answered, furiously. The man nodded. "Yes, you deserve an explanation. May I enter?" Dumbledore said : "Of course. Everyone, get back to your Towers, besides from the professors, Mr. Weasley's relatives and close friends!" There was some resistance, as many were curious to know more about all this mess, but at least the Headmaster and the Professors, along with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Harry and Hermione, not to mention the mysterious man, were alone in the Great Hall.

"We're ready to hear you, Mr…" said Dumbledore uncertainly. They had just finished explaining to the strange man what had happened before. He answered : "My name is Demian Torvin. And I am the Grand Master of the Jedi Order. Now, I have to explain some things before I come to what happened earlier. You have to know that the whole Universe is pregnated with an incredible and mysterious energy, that we call the Force. The Force is with everyone of us, but only some persons can feel it. Those are called Force-Sensitives. The Force-Sensitives can feel the Force, and can receive its help to do various things…" "We already knew that. After he received his… 'lightsaber' or whatever, Ron demonstrated various powers that had no connection with his magical powers!" interrupted Harry. Torvin nodded : "Yes, because they are completely different powers. Some of the few ones who can use the Force want to use it for evil, so many years ago my Order was founded, a monastic order which goal is to mantain peace and stop the evil Force-Sensitives with the help of the force… and of this!" He drew out his lightsaber and ignited it; its blade was light blue. "Evil Force-Sensitives? Like the one who was here?" asked Hermione, curious besides herself. Torvin sighed. "The most part of them are just failed Jedi Knights that fall to the Dark Side of the Force, the side that drew his strenght from the most hidden and dangerous emotions that lurk into everyone of us, while we Jedi struggle to mantain ourselves into the Light Side of the Force, by keeping our emotions under control. But then, some Dark Jedi, as we call them, founded a rival Order, that of the Sith Lords, whose goal is to conquer Earth and dominate everything and everyone for all eternity. We fought them many times, with alterning fortune, but in the last all-out war with them, we managed to destroy them… or so we thought. As we feared, a few of them escaped, and decided to remain hidden until better times arrive. And so your late brother enters in my story!" Arthur moved uncomfortably but didn't say a thing. "Bilius was discovered a Force-Sensitive when he was young, and he became a Jedi Knight. His odd behaviour was a cover for his true being, and it worked, because as far as I know everyone of you has always thought of him just as a lunatic. In reality, he was one of our best Knights, skilled, determined, respectful. His help was critical in many important missions. Until…" Torvin then stopped and sighed again.

"What?" asked Mrs. Weasley, curious herself. Torvin lifted his head and went on : "Until he started to fall in love with another Knight. Keira Olen. A very pretty woman, and a brave Jedi, but unfortunately between her and Bilius a romantic link was formed. My Order doesn't forbid romantic relationships, we just think they can be an obstacle. When all started, it seemed just something to be happy about, as they were even more determined, and their forces seemed to become even stronger. But then, tragedy stroke. A deranged Jedi Knight fell to the Dark Side and tried to create his personal kingdom in Central America. Myself, Bilius and Keira, along with many others, went there to stop him. We managed to defeat him, but before his defeat, he managed to mortally wound Keira." He stopped again, and put his hand on his eyes, while those memories took his toll on him. "Bilius tried to save her, but couldn't. Death is too mich even for our powers. Then, he lost his head. He loved her too much to survive unschated to her demise. His emotions caused him to lose control, and he… well, he killed in cold blood her killer. Then, he went rogue, before we could stop him. We looked for him everywhere, but the Sith found him sooner. And when he was back… he was no more Bilius Weasley, valiant Jedi Knight, but he was Darth Venom. He fought us with incredible power, causing us many losses, in many battles I shall not speak about. He knew us, he knew all our strenghts and our weaknesses. But when he was very close to defeat us… he managed to retrieve his true self. I still don't know what happened to him, but he managed to return to the Light Side of the Force, redeeming himself. But for this, he was hunted down by his ex-friends… they found him, and after a ferocious battle they managed to kill him before we could come to help!" Silence. "So… that's what happened! We simply thought he had died for some kind of a stroke!" exclaimed Arthur. "A cover story. Unfortunately, this was not the end of all this. Because as you should have guessed by now, Ronald inherited his uncle's sensitivity and skill, but we just discovered it. His powers were dormant until he received his lightsaber from Ferius, that caused him to be aware of his potential, albeit with no clear informations. And now, those abilities and powers are under the control of the Sith!" "But you just said that Bilius managed to snap back to the Light. Can't Ron do the same thing?" asked Molly. Torvin looked at her sadly. "I'm afraid circumstances are different. Bilius fell to the Dark Side for love, and out of grief, and when the grief passed he managed to realize what he had done and use his feelings of love and friendship for us to redeem himself. From what you have told me, Ron has chosen by himself to fall to the Dark Side, and I fear not out of fear of what Ferius could have done to you!" "What do you mean?" asked Hermione, scared. "Tell me, has Ronald expressed ambition and desire to be more famous and appreciated than he actually was? From what do you know about him, does he have reasons to desire to be just greater?" Everyone looked in each other's eyes. There was no need to answer that : Ron always found difficult to cope with being Harry's sidekick, he had always been slightly embarassed by his parents's poverty, and he longed to be or to do something so that people could recognize him as Ronald Weasley and not 'Harry Potter's best friend'. Torvin grimaced. "As I feared. Ferius said the right thing : he offered him to be someone himself, to become great, albeit in evil. And he couldn't resist. I'm afraid he shall soon become beyond redemption!" At this, with everyone's surprise, Hermione snapped at him, unleashing all her frustration, all her fear and all her worries : "No! He may have chosen to become what he is now because a part of him wants power, but he mostly did it to save us! You don't know him, but I do, and I'm telling you this : Ron is still alive, he can still be saved! And I shall not change my mind on it!" With this, she got up and left the Hall, leaving behind some very puzzled persons.


	4. Chapter 4

Here it is, the first chapter of true Sith action, with Darth Ruin as main Sith character! Now, I decided to take a long step, of about a year, to make things quickier, because the true action comes later! Please note that I mantained HP story canon, so Moody, Lupin, Tonks, Dobby, Hedwig and Fred are dead. Enjoy!

Chapter 4 : Encounters

_Harry's P.O.V._

_A year. It's nearly a year since when I lost my best friend. Someone said that you don't recognize what you have until you lose it. It's true, I never recognized how much Ron meant to me. It's different from the times he wouldn't speak to me for some reason or another, because this time he's gone… probably forever. But if it's hard for me, others are taking this harder. A lot. Ginny is besides herself; she feels she's been too hard with Ron, always seeing him just as a overprotective big brother, and now she's wrecking with guilt. His family has took it hard, too. They feel guilty, too, but especially Mrs. Weasley and the twins, the first because she is afraid she's never shown much love for him, because she loves so much her only daughter after six males; the latters because they openly acknowledged they've gone a little too far with their jokes. Now they try to compensate by being much more serious and appear guilty, it doesn't matter how much Percy (!), who went back to his family after Ron's leave, tells them this doesn't help. But for Hermione is even worser : after all the Lavender stuff, she never truly admitted how much she desired Ron's love, and it wasn't all because of Ron's emotional range; now that she has lost her occasion, she is very down. But she is the most hopeful, too. After what that Torvin guy said, we are half convinced that Ron is gone, but she isn't. She's the first one to say his name, to remember him to us, and all this because she is adamant that he, in a way or another, will turn back to us. And no one shall convince her of the opposite._

_Meanwhile, the war rages on; Dumbledore has been killed in cold blood by Snape, but not before he could tell me Voldemort's weakness : his Horcruxes, pieces of his soul that make him immortal. If they are destroyed, he can be killed. So, I, Hermione and Ginny (after losing Ron, I couldn't bear myself to distance myself from Ginny, and her family reluctanly agreed to let her going with us, while her father secured from the Minister an early lifting of the Ban, so she can use magic outside the school) didn't return to school and went on searching the remaining Horcruxes (two, Tom Riddle's diary and Slytherin's ring, are already gone). The Ministry has fallen to Death Eathers and Snape is now Headmaster of Hogwarts, but we managed to destroy one (Slytherin's locket) and to retrieve another (Hufflepuff's cup), and we just discovered where are the others (Ravenclaw's diadem and Nagini), at Hogwarts and with Voldemort. We managed to destroy the cup and the diadem, so remains just the snake, but Voldemort knows and so he unleashed his Death Eathers. We are fighting him in an all-out battle, he is going down or we are, there are no other chances. But as the edge of the war is coming, I find myself wanting for the zillionth time to have my friend back with us…_

Unknown location

It was dark; the only light was a blood-red light that shined from the curved lamps on the walls. In the circular room, just a figure stood before a great mirror decorated with roaring black dragons. He lifted a hand and made a gesture before the glass : on it appeared instantly a clear image of a great battle… wizards fighting other wizards.

"What are you looking for, Lord Ruin?" a shrill voice asked. The figure turned his head : his shoulder-lenght hair was red, the shapes were the same, but the face was emotionless, and Ron Weasley's blue eyes were now Darth Ruin's yellowish sparkling lights. "I am looking what is happening, Master!" Darth Ferius came alongside him. "Aah, I see, you are looking after your friends… and those you love!" Ruin's face remained plain. "I am what I am now because of them, Master, I can't help it. And I still crave to help them in their quest!" Ferius looked at him. "Are you telling me that because you know you can't hide anything from me? Or because you're asking permission to leave this place and go help them?" This time, Ruin turned around towards his master. "Master, I know you know everything I do and think, and so it's useless for me to say what I wish. But if I was to make a suggestion, the presence of Voldemort could be an obstacle for us, so his demise is not against our quest!" Ferius sneered : in just a year, the uncertain and volatile young wizard had turned into a merciless warrior, and a cunning mastermind. His skill in strategy was incredible : it was just the truth that Voldemort would be an enemy to them. So, he looked intently in his apprentice's eyes, and saw nothing else than darkness. "Very well, Lord Ruin. You have my permission to do everything you deem significant to help Voldemort's defeat. But don't forget who you are… and that only one can actually overcome him, so you can just help them, but not defeat him yourself!" "I know, Master!" replied Ruin, lifting his black cloak's hood, that made his eyes sparkling even more evil than before. He bowed to Ferius, then he turned around and went for the exit, disappearing into the darkness of the place. Ferius stood there for a moment, then laughed. It would be a serious blow for future enemies that had proven to be so dangerous, to realize what had been of their old friend. And it would be an excellent field test for the most promising Sith Lord that history had seen from a thousand years.

Hogwarts

"Harry Potter is dead. He's been killed while he was fleeing, trying to save himself…" Voldemort declared triumphantly besides an astonished crowd of Hogwarts defenders, pacing around Harry's body. Actually he was still alive, but was pretending in order to complete his mission : having discovered through the just deceased Snape's memories he was another Voldemort's Horcrux (and that Snape was actually on the good side), he managed to walk to him to be killed, in order to dispatch it, but he had found himself in a limbo and realized he had a choice about going forward or going back. He had decided the latter, so he feigned death to lure Voldemort into a trap he couldn't escape.

But just before Neville Longbottom, besides himself from rage, could throw himself at Riddle, the air became a lot chillier, and the stars suddenly disappeared. The teachers, the Order of the Phoenix and the DA merely thought of another trick of Voldemort, but he looked up as confused as everyone. Then, a dark figure jumped from the Astronomy Tower and landed gracefully in the space between the two armies. He stood in all his stature, and when he spoke, fear caught everyone, for his voice was even more horrible and threatening than Voldemort's. "It's not true, Voldemort. You have failed, and now darkness and void are waiting for you!" Voldemort looked scared, but then sneered : "Ha! Who are you, to oppose the Dark Lord?" The figure took down his cloak, and everyone gasped : it was Ronald Weasley, but it wasn't really him. His expression was one of complete and calm fury, and his voice sounded with hidden power and danger. "I used to be Ronald Weasley, but now I am Darth Ruin! And ruin is upon you, and those who follow you!" He suddenly made his move, and a red flash cut the air; a second later, the thrown lightsaber returned in its master's hand as Nagini fell backwards, decapitated. Before anyone could react, Ruin had secured his deadly weapon on his belt, and lifted both his hands. From the Death Eather's ranks, Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback were taken and hurled into the air, a good thirty feet from the terrain, perfectly visible to everyone, even to the rushing reinforcements coming from Hogsmeade, led by Charlie Weasley and Horace Slughorn. In the deadly silence, Ruin merely said : "You… deserve only to die!", and then an impressive surge of lightnings was shot from his hands and hit the two villains with incredible power. Filling the air with their horrible screams, they died in a few seconds; if someone could have thought it over, he could have realized that probably Ruin could have killed them instantly, but instead chose to gave them a very painful death.

In that moment, everything went awry. Roaring from having his last link to immortality severed and having two of his best servants killed before his eyes, Voldemort charged towards Ruin, unleashing a barrage of spells that were easily deflected by Ruin, who seemed like he was toying with him. Harry got up covering himself with his Cloak of Invisibility and disappearing into the mess. As the Death Eathers, reeling from the sudden double attack in their rear and at their front, were trying to reorganize themselves, Buckbeak attacked the Giants, depriving them from their most powerful allies, and the House-Elves charged their lower parts, falling many of them. They were forced into the Great Hall and there they were overwhelmed by their opponent's sheer numbers and determination. Voldemort, after having realized that his attack could do nothing to Ruin but that Ruin was not going to attack him, was dueling with Kingsley Shackelbolt, McGonagall and Slughorn, neither side managing to get a finishing attack. When the Dark Lord remained alone, he managed to get free from his opponents; it was then that Harry took out his Cloak and faced him.

Everything went silent as Harry Potter and Tom Riddle faced themselves. Everyone's attention was drawn to this epic showdown. Ruin too deactivated his lightsaber (after having killed a good dozen Death Eaters) and folded his arms on his chest. He pretended not to notice it, but Hermione looked at him intently, unbelievingly and at the same time radiant with unbearable joy, before turning to the main event. The two mortal enemies circled each other as wild beasts waiting for the right moment to jump at each other's throats. But Ron, using his Force sensibility, could sense something the others couldn't, as Voldemort and Harry talked. He could sense something in Voldemort that some years before he couldn't have believed : fear. But now he know he was right to be afraid : Harry had managed to get all the good cards, and now there they were, Voldemort no longer immortal, and Harry… well, Ron could sense an immense determination in him, and that didn't surprise him a bit, but he could sense something mildly surprising : concern. It was possible that… even when locked in the greatest duel of wizarding history, Harry could feel concern… for him, for his long lost friend? The realization took his toll, as Ruin's eyes widened and his arms started to fall to his sides. But the gesture went unnoticed, as the two champions lifted their wands and roared togheter "AVADA KEDAVRA!" and "EXPELLIARMUS!". A bright flash of light…. Then, Voldemort fell, dead, gone for good.

Ruin made a smile in which satisfaction at his friend's success was mixed with glee because a potential rival to the power of the Sith had been broken and now lied lifeless on the floor. As everyone cheered and went for Harry, he took the chance and turned back, to get away, his mission finished. But someone noticed it : and that someone freed himself from the circle of people who was cheering at him and took some step forward, calling : "Ron…!" Ruin stopped, and turned a little. He slowly shook his head. "No, Harry Potter, you're wrong. I used to be Ronald Weasley, but now I can't say I'm him anymore. And don't get your hopes up : this time I helped you, but not because we were friends, but because it suited my mission. So be warned : I can see clearly that the next time we'll see each other, we shall be mortal enemies." He paused, feeling a mixture of amusement and sadness as devastating horror struck his ex-best friend, then he turned again and went for the exit. But it was with sincere fear, almost panic, that he reacted to the familiar voice that shouted : "Ron! Ron, please, wait…!"

His mind swirled in different ways. _No, not her, I can't face her…_ he thought. He rushed to the grounds, then he made a series of Force Jumps that brought him on the Astronomy Tower. There, he boarded his aircraft and disappeared into the night, wishing that his feelings could disappear, also.

On the grounds, a lonely figure was standing there, looking at the exact point where the strange device had disappeared from her sight. Her eyes were filled with tears, all the joy for the final victory and his beloved's sudden reappearance vanished. But at least, she knew he was alive… and that her voice had some effect on him. _No matter what, Ron, I'll always believe in you…_

_

* * *

_16/12/10 _- _Corrected a few mistakes!_  
_


	5. Chapter 5

Ok, now that the Wizarding War here is over, we can start with the Force Wars! Now, we'll start to see some good Jedi/Sith action, and some blood and death! Please review!

Chapter 5 : Ascending

Darth Ferius was slowly rubbing his hands together, seemingly in some sort of meditation that gave him some pleasure, judging by the wicked smile on his face. He didn't stop when he heard the familiar footsteps of his right-hand man, his most faithful and skilled apprentice, Darth Ruin, approaching.

"Here is the potion I brewed for you, Master!" "Thank you, Lord Ruin!" Ferius said, taking the silver bowl and quickly drinking the red liquid it carried. "Even though my Force abilities are the same, my body is more and more reluctant to obey my wishes!" Ruin maintained an expressionless face. "It is… unfortunate." "Yes, but not for long. Our objective is closer, now! And all thanks to you!" Ruin smirked evilly. "I just put in action what I learned from you. But it's true, my plan is working perfectly!"

"Yes. I can hardly believe it. There are just two years since when that ridiculous war ended, but our Order has immensely grown in strength. And the Jedi have proven themselves unable to anticipate us! Fools! Their end is near!" Ferius laughed maniacally, while Ruin kept smiling evilly.

Then, something happened. Ferius stopped laughing abruptly and his hand went to his throath. He started to choke. "Are you feeling alright, Master?" asked Ruin, in a so mocking tone that Ferius understood it at once. "You… poisoned me? Why?" he asked, unbelievingly. Ruin flashed his most evil expression, staring directly in the elder Sith's eyes. "Because your time has come. You made a fatal mistake, Master : you taught me everything you know, so I have nothing left I can learn from you. Henceforth, your stay as Master of the Order is a futile waste of time. The Sith needs a new leader, a young one, one capable of destroying the Jedi and taking over this land… in other words, they need me!" Ferius was staring blankly at his apprentice, his choking assuming an alarming rate. "But besides that, I've always hated you, Master! As long as I'm grateful to you for everything you gave me, you are the one who forced me to abandon everything I cared for, to become something I didn't wish to become! You took away from me my present and my future… then, I'm taking my revenge, by taking away from you that little of future you still had, and the leadership of the Sith. But I can assure you, I'll take care of everything, way better of how you could have!" Ferius was turning redder and redder, but he managed to make an expression of admiration, and to whisper : "You… exceeded… my wildest… expectations…!" before rolling over and dying.

Ruin stood upon the lifeless corpse of his master, then he bowed and murmured, in a formal but emotionless tone : "Now you're one with the Force, Master!" He then turned around, and went for the door. He opened it and entered the other room, where other men and women dressed in Sith robes were. They stood up, and immediately noticed Ferius's body in the other room. "What happened to Master Ferius?" asked a tall man, with pale features and black hair. Ruin looked at him, seemingly bored. "He passed away, Darth Krivath. His name shall be remembered forever. But now that he is gone, as his first and most skilled apprentice, now it is my task to guide our Order!" With that, he went for the tall chair, almost a throne, and slowly sat down on it. Nobody said anything, and this was as much as an unanimous agreement that they accepted and confirmed his ascension. He smiled wickedly, leaning against the elaborated throne, letting his fingers slid on the elaborated metal. He was most assuredly going to like the power!

Hogwarts

"Your offer is tempting, Professor, but I still think that there are other Ministry employees, more qualified, that could take this job!" said Harry Potter. Professor McGonagall, HeadMistress of Hogwarts, looked at him somewhat sternly. "Minister Shackelbolt gave his approval when I said your name as DADA Adjutant Teacher, and we both think this position is the better place in which you can be in the present time, given the recent happenings!"

Harry squirmed uncomfortably on his seat. He hated it, but she was right. Everyone expected that, with Voldemort's demise, everything would be fine, at least for some good years. Instead, in no time, another threat appeared again, and it was all but the Order that Ron had reluctantly joined some time ago.

Four months after the Battle of Hogwarts, the Sith made a rather public declaration, in which they declared they were going to take over not only the magical community, but the whole England, and any other land away. Despite Kingsley's (he was appointed interim Minister of Magic, and was later confirmed in the role) best efforts to calm down everyone, with Harry's strong but half-hearted support, the magical people, sick of war, fighting and violence, passed in no time from the ecstasy of victory to a deep depression that weakened the reconstruction efforts and seriously lowered the chance of building up an effective defense against the incoming Sith attack. The Jedi Order was quick to offer his help, but as long as they could fight fire with fire, their few numbers meant that they could not protect everyone at the same time, so the advantage was still on the opposing side.

And the attack came. The Sith took their time : they started by attacking prominent people from the most renowned wizarding families, just to show what they could do. Then, the few esteemed wizarding families that had survived unscathed or with little trouble the war due to little or no help given to the Death Eaters suffered painful losses, weakening the Wizengamot, one of the oldest surviving institutions in the wizarding world, and a standing reference in a society that had just been wrecked by a war and forced to change very quickly. After that, they went on to pass to larger-scale attacks, against targets such as Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade and other important wizarding communities. The human losses were limited, but the public was outraged from both the great estate damage that resulted and from the slow reaction of the Ministry strike force together with the Jedi. Truth to be told, they didn't realize how difficult was to intercept an attack from people with great powers they weren't accostumed to, even with the help of the Jedi.

In all this attacks, Darth Ruin didn't participate. But it was blatantly clear to Harry and his friends who from this plan came, as it was just perfect. They had been stunned to realize how great was Ron's proficience to strategy, and how quickly this had been turned to evil.

And as the attacks progressed, he had slowly realized something that had struck him like a thunderbolt : he was really going to have to face his ex-best friend in a deadly battle, and on opposite sides. Given that he had turned evil, it was right : he couldn't allow anyone to take over the world with the force, because the world was no one's to conquer. But the prospective gave him an overwhelming sense of nausea.

He lifted his gaze, but before he could say anything, the whole room rocked. "What the hell…?" he shouted, unbelievingly. "The wards are compromised! We are under attack! Hurry up, Harry!" McGonagall replied, looking shocked but determined to stop whoever was behind this attack. Wands ready, they quickly went to the Entrance Hall, where the Aurors and the teachers were trying to stop some dark-cloaked figures to advance, with little success. They bolted forward to join the battle, but then one of the Sith lifted his hand, and every wizard was thrown back for good. Under the cloak, the yellow eyes were cornered by red hair, and around his mouth and his chin a short-trimmed red beard confirmed the identity of the leader of the assault.

"I suggest you to stay back and not try to obstacle us. We're not here to fight you, but to retrieve something critical for us. If you cooperate, no one shall be hurt. Do the sensible thing!" said Darth Ruin. "Oh, we're absolutely going to do just that… by crushing you!" shouted the Auror team leader, a good fellow and a skilled wizard named Wilson Negley, firing his best shot at the Sith. Obviously, it had no effect, but the barrage of Force Lightning (everyone in those years had learned that name and to hate it) that another Sith shot at him had the best effect possible, and Negley rolled down, dead. "We have no time for this. Apprentices, you take care of these fools who cannot understand when they have no hope; I'll collect what we need here!" And Ruin started making up the stairs, appearing as calm as he were in his dark redoubt.

Without giving a thought at was happening back down, he made his way to the library, the few disoriented students he met on the hallways fleeing in terror. He looked around, and spotted a familiar face, as a curse bounced uselessly against him. "Hello, Madam. Glad to see you again. Which reminds me… that time you unleashed those books on me for eating chocolate here… I didn't forget it!" And with that, a whole bookshelf went down on the helpless witch, burying her. He strode forward, heading to the Forbidden Section. There, he looked around for some time, picking some books and examining them, then his face lit up, becoming even more evil. "Aah, here it is! As I learnt, that teacher on XVII Century was also a Jedi, and left here his secrets… his discoveries… his lifework. Well, now I guess it's time for that work to be used up!" And he picked a large old book with a black cover. He went for the exit, but there he found someone.

Not only Harry, now one of the youngest and most skilled Aurors in current service, and McGonagall were there. The Order itself was there, which included some of the member of Dumbledore's Army, now conscripted in the organization founded by the late Dumbledore, and still active to face the Sith.

Ruin tilted his head. "Nice to meet you, ladies and gentlemen. Now, I suggest you to fall back, before doing something you would regret, like attacking me." They shifted, as he was right. They hadn't the firepower needed to even wound him, but he was powerful enough to vanquish them easily. But to their credit, they stood their ground. "Sorry, but we can't allow to do it, Ron!" Harry spoke for everyone. The Sith seemed bored. "How much times do I have to tell you… I don't use that name anymore!" With that, he attacked. But instead of throwing them away with a Force Push, to have them on his heels seconds later, he chose something more… permanent. His eyes glowed brightly as he used Force Fear, using his negative energy to stir the most terrible and untolerable fears and bad memories in his enemies. The effect was immediate : almost all the Order members reacted as Lord Voldemort itself had just appeared before them, and fell to the ground screaming or ran away. All but five : Ruin knew they would overcome with some difficulty his attack. His ex best friend, his sister, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood… and _her_. For a moment, he wished she had yielded before the terror and had fled away. Then, he smirked. "I expected this. I guess I'll just take a more direct approach!" He had insisted upon his master to be allowed to study extensively human physiology and anatomy, thinking he could make use of it in hand-to-hand combat. He was right : knowing perfectly all the weak spots, he could now combine the quickness of Force Speed with a deadly combo of surgically precise and powerful hits, and that had the advantage of being something unorthodox; but since he was eleven years old he'd never been orthodox.

It worked perfectly : four of his enemies had not even a chance to do something to defend themselves, as they crumbled to the ground, senseless. The fifth would have been as easy as a target as them, but Ruin didn't attack. As long as he could attack his old friends (albeit with an aching sensation near the heart, which he managed to ignore with some difficulty), he could not bear to attack the woman (yes, now he saw her as a fully-grown woman, and a strikingly beautiful one) he still longed for so much. It was perhaps the only thing of which he was sure about. "I don't want to hurt you." He said lowly to Hermione. Her expression was so expressive and painful that he was mildly surprised. Once he would have stared slackjawed at her for such an emotional thing. "Why do you do this?" Her voice was so soft that Ruin had to struggle to maintain his expressionless face. He didn't answer : that was a question that needed and answer as long as the Bible or no answer at all. She looked at him : her eyes were locked into his, with so much longing that he felt the urge to drop his saber, lighted and ready in his hand, and embrace her, kiss her, comfort her, take her pain away…

His Force-enhanced senses warned him. He turned back with grace, lifting his saber in a mid-height defensive posture. Three brown-clothed figures stood before him, wielding a lightsaber each. Ruin recognized the elderly man with the grey hair and nodded to him. "Hello, Master Deveraux, if it's not an unexpected pleasure!" "The pleasure is all mine, Darth Ruin!" the powerful Jedi Master answered, and his blue lightsaber clashed with Ruin's red one. The other two Jedi, a slim man and a tall raven-haired woman, which he indentified as Jedi Master Demian Naidon and Jedi Knight Donatra Deval (both skilled in the Force and with a lightsaber, although not as Deveraux) joined the flurry of blows.

But Ruin was far from being in difficulty. He had trained for years in learning every form of lightsaber combat, and he had demonstrated his skill with the lightsaber the few times they had clashed that even the Jedi acknowledged him as one of the greatest living swordsmen. He had studied and mastered every Form of the Seven created : Shii-Cho, Makashi, Soresu, Ataru, Shien/Djem-So, Niman, and Juyo/Vaapad. And his great skill in tactics ensured he always knew which style he should use in a duel. This time, he automatically used Shien, as he decided to value defense over offense, against three skilled adversaries, but he didn't want to let possible occasions to strike them down slip away.

Against his weapon, the combined attack failed miserably. Deveraux's strong and precise Djem-So, Naidon's raw but powerful Shii-Cho and Deval's vicious Ataru couldn't overcome his defense. He went on parrying their blows and sometimes cautiously attacking, then he caught Deveraux and Naidon close to each other and took both out with a nice Force Push. He still had to deal with the girl, but it wasn't going to be a problem. He graciously swirled, dodging her attack, but just as he prepared to strike back he saw something that broke the rhythm of his movements.

Hermione was looking intently at the duel, not even trying to join or to aid the Knight. Her eyes were big from the worry. But, Ruin recognized, it was not worry that the Jedi Knight might not defeat him…. But worry that she _succeeded_. He was so surprised, so shocked by the fact that she could care so much about him after all that time and all that had happened, that he made the near-fatal mistake of relaxing his defenses. The woman took advantage of that, and she plunged forward, her saber pointed right at his heart, a lethal attack. But before she could, his Sith training clicked on place, and he turned abruptly around, the green saber missing him by mere inches. And while the Knight was still unbalanced and surprised, he, like a thousand times he had practiced this move in mock duels, quickly reverted his lightsaber in his hand and, thrusting it backwards, hit the woman. Right into her heart.

Everyone who assisted it, including the other two Jedi that were just recovering for the preceding attack, and the other Order members who had returned, after the effects of Force Fear had disappeared, couldn't utter a word. Ruin couldn't, either. Excluding Lestrange and Greyback, he hadn't killed anyone at this point, and he considered the two monsters, not man, so he didn't lose not even a minute of sleep thinking about them and the painful deaths he had caused. But this time, he had killed a honorable and good woman. So, he just gazed, his mind a whirlwind of sensations and thoughts, as she collapsed to the ground, her face still expressing her surprise.

For some seconds, nothing moved. Like time itself had frozen. Then, Ruin spoke up. "What a pity." He commented with an emotionless voice. Not that he was lying; his Sith part found that it was indeed a pity that she had persisted in fighting him alone, as she couldn't possibly defeat him, and so she herself was responsible for her death. But the deep-hidden, but still alive, part of him that once was Ronald Weasley, with that comment managed to express his horror at the action he had done. At the news that he was now a ruthless killer. That he had no coming back now.

Before anymore else could be said, Ruin made a Force Jump and got away. The Jedi and the Order, after some seconds, ran after him. All but one : Hermione was still there, unmoving. Then, she knelt near the lifeless corpse of Donatra Deval, Jedi Knight, and slowly closed her eyes. Tears were running freely on her cheeks, but a part of her found some solace in what she had managed to grasp in the cool comment that Ruin made. She had managed to get the message of Ruin's uncorrupted part, the part she was determined to get back. The part that wouldn't have done that thing. The part she would love forever…

Ruin arrived in the Great Hall, to see his apprentices still fighting the Aurors and some Jedi Knights. He shouted over the mess : "RETREAT!! Our mission here is accomplished, we have no more business here!" As one, the Sith momentarily pushed back their opponents, and fell back towards the grounds. There, they fled using the Force. And there was no point in chasing them; they knew perfectly how to disappear, and how to make sorry their pursuers.

So, the defeated Aurors, Order members and teachers stood there, watching frustratingly as their enemies went away. Harry was the first to spoke. "I didn't think he could do something like that." There was no need to ask him of what he was speaking about. "I'm afraid this is the final confirmation, that he now is in mind and body a Sith. Only a Dark Lord of the Sith could have struck with such ruthlessness and ferociousness." Said sadly Master Deveraux. But a voice, soft as it was strong, said curtly : "You are wrong!" They all turned around, to see Hermione. She looked like she had witnessed a most terrible horror, but she was still willing to go on. Deveraux, knowing perfectly about her and her feelings, tried to be diplomatic : "Miss Granger, I know how you feel about… Mr. Weasley, but the death of Deval it's the final proof that he is no more. Only Darth Ruin remains. I can guess how you can refuse the evidence, but the Jedi can sense things that…" Hermione interrupted him with a death glare and a stern rebuke. "You may sense things that we cannot, you may know things that we do not know, but you do not know anything about emotions. And the emotions that he and I share are the ultimate proof that he is not gone. He is still there… and when I'll manage to get him back, I'll wait for you to apologize!" With that, she turned around, and started sorting out the chaos that the attack caused. Deveraux and his fellow Jedi looked dumbfounded, a very rare thing in a Jedi Master. The wizards instead were just… envious. They wished they could have the security Hermione displayed.

The Sith fortress was a place of rejoicing for the victory. "I am most pleased with the results. We have reached the primary objective, taking over this book, but we also managed to weaken and scare both the Jedi and the wizards. It's indeed a great day!" commented Darth Ruin, his hand slowly caressing the ancient book he had retrieved. The pale man, perhaps the most powerful and ruthless apprentice besides Ruin, having heard the tale of Ruin's battle, answered joyfully : "Indeed, your mastership begins under the best circumstances, Master! Our final victory becomes closer and closer!" "That is certain, Lord Krivath! And this book will provide us with such knowledge, that we can be sure that the Jedi Order is most assuredly going to vanish… forever!"

Laughing echoed in the large room, but as he laughed, Ruin was still struggling with the day's happenings. As long as the part of himself that had dominated his mind since he became a Sith enjoyed displaying his power by defeating his ex friends and killing that arrogant wench, the part he could not get rid of was still protesting with all the strength it had left, blaming him for having ended a life, reminding him of the looks he had received from his own family and old friends… but most of all, remembering him the looks _she_ had given him. And perhaps that was the only thing to which Ruin was vulnerable : because what he felt for her was the only thing Darth Ferius's teachings and training had not succeeded in corrupting and turning evil. The only thing he had held on in his path down to darkness… hope beyond horror, light beyond darkness.

Ohmygosh, Ron is a killer!! But he is not an Anakin Skywalker-type character, let's be clear : Anakin's fault was that he loved his woman too much and to "save" her (which he did masterfully, by the way!!) he fell to the dark side; Ron's problem is that he is _not_ an uncooperative slave, he has come to like what he is now, at least a part of him. The only hope for him is a certain bushy-haired girl… but I'm not sure if he's gonna make it or not… bwahahaha!!

Thanks for the reviews, by the way!!


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry if it took so long for an update, but I'm rather busy now. Nevertheless, enjoy!

Here our favorite Dark Lord takes some sweet revenge on some blood prat he knows all to well. I'm sorry if there's no killing, but I'll try to put it in the next chapter.

Chapter 6 : Having fun

"Are you sure you don't need backup for this mission, Master?" Darth Ruin looked so severely at the tall blonde woman that she seemed to become smaller. "Lady Wraith, your lack of faith is… disturbing. I would need help if I was going to attack the Jedi Praexum, but this is simply a mission to pick up something and then going home. Besides, it's rather… personal in some aspects." The Lady of the Sith bowed humbly. "I apologize, Master Ruin. I shall not make the same mistake again!" "Oh, I'm positively sure you won't!" nodded Ruin, and unleashed a brief but intense wave of Force Lightning on her. She fell to the ground, screaming in agony, but Ruin ceased the barrage after just a few seconds. "Showing concern for your Lord is good, Lady Wraith. To insinuate that his power is not up to a small challenge like this is nothing short that an insult. Remember this, or next time you won't get up so quickly!" With that, he turned around, his dark cloak flipping, and quickly exited the room. The woman slowly got up, and breathed. Darth Krivath grinned. "A rather unwise comment, I would say!" "Oh, shut up before I slice your head off your neck!" shouted Wraith at her rather handsome but sometimes annoying companion and/or lover. Krivath looked bored. "I'm just saying that everyone who doubts the power of Darth Ruin is on for at least some Force Lightning, as you discovered. You're wrong to underestimate his powers… or there is something else?" The woman blushed. "No… nothing else!" "Ha! It seems to me that you've fallen for the red hair and the pretty face of our fearless Master, haven't you?" Wraith shoved him aside with the Force. "Jealous?" she growled. The man laughed briefly. "Hell, no. One, we've made clear that we sometimes have just some friendly sex, and nothing more. Two, it would be… suicidal to be jealous of the Supreme Dark Lord of the Sith. Even together, all of us apprentices would be no match for him; he's too powerful!" "For now. Time is our ally; sooner or later his powers shall wane, and ours shall be greater than his!" Krivath looked at her grimly. "I'm afraid we'll have to wait a long time before that! If I'm not very much mistaken, he's not going to allow his power to wane easily!"

Malfoy Manor was firstly built, centuries ago, on a low hill surrounded by a large forest. But the trees stopped before a high stone wall fifty meters away from the actual castle. The only entrance was a silvery shining gate, which over the years was filled with defensive spells and curses, to deny entrance to the ones who weren't welcome to the landlords.

But Darth Ruin merely lifted a hand, and the walls were shattered, falling down with great noise. Without even going fast, Ruin walked towards the castle; at the main door, he repeated the gesture, and the oak doors crashed down without even resisting a second. Ruin walked over the fallen doors towards the stairs; he climbed them, until he entered a large room with huge windows; where on the day the sun shone brightly, there was just the impenetrable darkness of the night, and the only light was provided by some torchs on the walls. Ruin had merely taken two steps into the room, when a terrified voice stuttered : "_A-Avada Kedavra!_". A jet of green light cut through the air, to be pathetically neutralized by the invisible shield around the Dark Lord. He seemed neither annoyed nor amused by the useless attack; he waved his hand, and three wands flew into his hand.

"I appreciate that you're not so scared to not even trying to put up a fight, but you're wasting my time!" he said in a plain voce, but that was enough to frighten even more the three human figures that were cowering in the room : two men, one looking like a younger self of the older one, and a woman. The Malfoys.

"Very well, I think I've come because I've something to settle with Draco. Because I want revenge over all the insults and all the trouble he gave me at Hogwarts." While he talked, he produced some lightning in his hand, and he smirked when he saw the three starting to actually tremble. "But, I'm actually here for something else. I'm here to collect an ancient artifact I'm sure is in your possession. I could kill all of you and then turn the castle upside down until I find it, but I run on a tight schedule, so here's my offer : you give me what I'm looking for, and you have your neck saved. So, what do you say?" Lucius Malfoy was well known for his self-assured and arrogant behavior, but this time he didn't quite stand up to his part. "Yes, yes! What do you w-want?" "A triangular-shaped object that you thought it was nice, but who smelled so strongly of evil that you keep it in the vault from ages. Go fetch it, and don't even think about calling from help. One, there's no way because all the Floo fires are severed, I sent away the owls and I'm using the Force to prevent anyone to Apparate and Disapparate, two, if you try, something rather unpleasant will happen to your wife and to your son!" He said so in such a threatening voice that Malfoy almost ran down to the vaults and came back in no time, holding the strange object Ruin had mentioned. He took it in his hand and smiled. "Exactly what I've been looking for! Thank you!"

While he was hiding the object in his cloak, he said : "Well, that's it. But first, I've remembered that there's something else I wanted to do here." Seeing the terrified looks on the Malfoys, he added : "Oh, don't worry! I've promised to spare your lives, …" He raised his hand. "…But I've never promised to not hurt you!" And with that, he pushed them so hard with the Force that they slammed painfully against the opposite wall. Another gesture, and Draco was lifted and started hovering in the air, while Ruin was Force-Choking him. His parents both tried to come to his aid, but Ruin quickly used the Force to keep them pinned against the wall, not even weakening his grip on Draco's neck. He grinned evilly and looked to his old foe. "For years you've tormented me in all the possible ways. For years you've scoffed over my family's poverty and status as blood-traitors. For years you've promised me I would pay for my allegiance. And here I am… now, I am the tormentor!" Draco was turning an alarming blue. Ruin shoved him against the wall on his right, and he crumpled to the floor, trying to catch his breath. "I want to tell you something, Draco. Do you know why I don't feel any need to kill you? Because I've already won; you're weak, and you've lost. You've sided with Voldemort in the war out of greed and desire for power, but you didn't and don't have the guts to follow that path to the end. Pathetic!" He practically spat the last word, and was grimly pleased when Draco flinched. "I, instead, had chosen to walk down a dark path out of love for those I cared for, and I accepted the whole burden gladly and without reserves. Even now that I'm fighting against those I once loved, even now that I've become someone I would have despised years ago, I've proven to myself and to the world who I am." He looked at Draco with intensity. "A winner. I've accepted the burden of darkness until the very end; you couldn't. In the end, it doesn't matter on which side I am. Because I've won, Draco. And you lost!"

The blonde boy was so shocked by that words (and from the truth behind them) that he couldn't utter a word. Ruin didn't talk anymore, and merely looked at him with disgust and triumph. With a quick glance to the senior Malfoys, who had assisted to the monologue without even daring to breathe, he slowly went to exit the room. He descended the stairs, and went out to the grounds. There, he took out the object he had been given, and grinned wickedly. "Darth Erebus's lost Holocron. With this knowledge, the Sith shall soon dominate, and I shall be able to crush the Jedi once for all!" With an evil laughter, he disappeared into the darkness, who swallowed him.

-

"This is a rather uncomfortable development. If Darth Ruin managed to retrieve one of the ancient Sith Holocrons, in which many Sith Lords stored their knowledge and their murderous techniques, his power now shall be greater than ever!" stated Demian Torvin, looking thoughtful. The inexpressive faces of the Jedi Masters were in sharp contrast with the worried looks of the Ministry and Order members. "We already figured that, Master Torvin. The problem is, since we can just make some noise and attract some attention in a fight against the Sith, can you or anyone else defeat Darth Ruin?" asked Harry, looking rather annoyed. Torvin sighed. "Alas, the death of Master Deval proved us that Ruin is very skilled in the art of holding a lightsaber. I am one of the best swordsmen of the Order, but I doubt that I could best him in combat. And his prowess with the Force is very great, without even mentioning the power of the Dark Side!" "In other words, you're not sure you can defeat him, is that right?" commented Minister Shacklebolt, grimly. Torvin looked at him. "Dangerous is to underestimate our adversary. Ruin has proven himself a master of tactics and strategy, and this talents are not limited to his planning. In battle, he is one of the most formidable foes that a man could meet nowadays. But, as I mentioned before, every Sith has a weakness. And I think I know what weakness we can use against Darth Ruin, to bring him down." With that, he looked at Hermione. She startled. "What? Are you suggesting to use me to… distract Ruin, so you can destroy him?" Torvin tried to be diplomatic. "I know your opinion about Ruin, and the Force knows how much I hope for it to be true. But to rid the world of this evil, great sacrifices are to be made. And I realize how much of a sacrifice I am asking you to be ready to do!" Hermione looked at him angrily, then slowly nodded. "It's sound. But on one condition : before cutting him down, I want you to promise me to give me a chance to talk to him… to try to aid him!" Torvin sighed again and reluctantly agreed : "Very well. If there is a chance for Darth Ruin to redeem himself and return to the light side, we shall give him that chance. But I am still convinced that that chance is too small to be real." "We shall see, Master Torvin!" said Hermione, in a daring voice.

-

"Now what, my lord?" asked Darth Krivath, bowing respectfully. "Now, I shall take some days to meditate and learn everything that I can from the Holocron. Once I've mastered its teachings, we shall strike again… and this time, it will not be a raid. It will be the beginning of our conquest! The beginning… of our _dominion_!!" shouted Darth Ruin in such an evil voice that Voldemort himself would have quivered.

*

I remind you that reviews are always well accepted.


End file.
